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E3 2004: Notorious: Die to Drive Impressions

If you're not particularily careful while walking through Ubisoft's booth, you won' even notice the two kiosks containing Notorious: Die to Drive. Spotting a title I'd never heard of from Ubisoft, of all developers, was rather unexpected, so I opted to give it a whirl.

Notorious is a racing title with weapons. Think Twisted Metal: Black, but with racing elements. You'll chose from one of six crews and take over the city by winning races, either through placing first or destroying everyone else. With the money you make from races, you'll be able to "bling out your ride" and pimp out your crib as you ascend the ranks of the underworld.

Gameplay-wise, the title seemed like an adult version of Mario Kart: Double Dash. You've got your standard shortcuts, powerups and the like. Of course, you also have your weapons, which include the AK-47, uzi, shotgun, magnum, bazooka, rocket launcher, and a baseball bat.

The real focus of the title seems to be on multiplayer, which wasn't playable in the demo. The representative we spoke with frequently referenced the multiplayer, which will allow up to four players to compete on a single PS2 and up to 16 participants online.

Graphically, the title doesn't offend, but it doesn't impress either.

The current plan is to include 24 tracks and around 50 cars. Currently, the title is 45% complete and contains 16 cars. Ubisoft Paris plans to include 24 tracks and around 50 cars by the time the title ships next spring.